WHEN LIVES ARE AT RISK DUE TO CULTURE

Culture is very good, no doubt👌. If you have been following my blog, you will discover how well I value cultural diversities. I respect everyone's culture and I practice my culture as well and make every effort to educate my kids about our culture. However, it becomes worrisome when some cultures are bent on endangering people's lives 😭.

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I am a Nigerian, from the Eastern part but I reside in the western part of Nigeria (Lagos state). Since I have lived in Lagos, I have been observing some cultural practices among the ethnic group (yoruba) but the one that got me devastated is the part of the culture in the community where I live; this particular culture involves cutting 7 human heads (throwing the remaining body parts inside a river) for sacrifice each time a king 👑 should be coronated. Like seriously? In this 21st century? This is my first time experiencing this kind of bloodshed of innocent children all in the name of having a new king 👑. Of course, I have watched it in movies but I never knew some community still practices this kind of culture... honestly it saddens my heart!

The whole event of the king's coronation took place throughout last week and then on Saturday which was the final Day of the ritual, the king ordered that the whole marketplace should be shut down. I didn't have the info before I went to the market. To my greatest chagrin, I reached the market and met shops closed, within some minutes, I started seeing groups of people matching along the marketplace together with the new king. They all matched chanting some native songs I do not understand.

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They finally arrived at the community hall where the event took place and began the ceremony. Well, I had to search for another market where I can do my foodstuffs shopping but then, I was interested to know much about the king's coronation. So today, I stepped out and coincidentally, ran along with some people discussing the event. It was there I got to know the details of their culture when it comes to king coronation.

According to the community, the reign of every king 👑 lasts until the king dies no matter how many years he rules as a king. So when a king dies, and it's time to coronate a new king, the culture demands that some men go in search of 7 innocent children at night (the kind that meets their requirements), cut their heads, and submit them to the new king and other respected elders in the community for rituals. They will do all the incantations and bury the 7 heads at 7 different points around the community hall.

Sincerely speaking, any culture that puts the lives of its community at risk needs to be reviewed. If I have the power, I will abolish this culture. There are Rams, goats 🐐, cows, and other animals one can use for any ritual but not your fellow human beings.

And then I leave you my reader to this question ❓, does such culture still exist in your part of the world 🌎? Your response will be appreciated 👍

THANKS FOR READING ❤️